Package containing stick material



May 13, 1969 P. PELLI ET AL 3,443,874

PACKAGE CONTAINING STICK MATERIAL Filed Sept. 12. 1966 Inverrl'ovs, PIERRE PELL'\ 'fmum: Mon AME United States Patent Int. (:1. B43]; 21/00,- B65d 83/00 US. Cl. 401-82 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A package containing a stick material and comprising a hollow body having two open ends, a removable cover closing one of said ends and a follower slidably mounted within said body, said follower being provided with a projection extending into said hollow body and embedded in said material, which fills said package. The projection on the follower is preferably provided with re-entrant peripheral surfaces, and the follower is either provided with a hole through which a liquid material may be poured into the body, and a plug for the hole, or with means permitting the follower to be snapped into the body after the body has been filled.

Solid and semi-solid cosmetic products are commonly packaged in containers from which they may be progressively extracted by actuating a plunger. These are commonly referred to as sticks, and lipsticks are a representative example of this type of container.

This method of packaging is generally used for products which are widely distributed, must be relatively inexpensive and as simple to use as possible.

Those packages presently in use generally comprise a cylindrical body provided at one end with a cover and at the other end with an opening large enough to permit the user to reach a follower which slides inside the body and by means of which the product contained therein may be progressively pushed out.

Such containers are usually filled by positioning the follower at the bottom of the container and then introducing the substance in a liquid or semi-liquid state.

If the container is thus filled with a substance which has been liquefied by melting it, when the substance is cooled it contracts so that, when solid, the surface of the substance is below the top of the container.

The manufacturer then has the choice of leaving the substance in this position and simply putting the cover on the container, which gives purchasers an unfavorable impression, or pushing the follower out a little so as to bring the substance level with the end of the container, which requires an additional step and gives the purchaser the impression that the stick has already been used.

Another approach consists in providing the body of the container with a skirt which extends upwardly and makes it possible to pour thereinto a quantity of the material sufficiently large that even after the contraction resulting from cooling the material still projects above the upper end of the body of the container. The skirt may then be taken away and the excess material removed in any suitable manner.

This process is not satisfactory either since, on the one hand, there is the added expense of cleaning the upper portion of the body of the container, and, as in the previously cited processes, the product does not extend beyond the upper end of the container, so that the follower must be actuated before it can be used for the first time.

The present invention relates to a new process for this type of packaging which assures a notable reduction 3,443,874 Patented May 13, 1969 in cost as well as a more attractive appearance of the product.

The object of the present invention is to provide a new process for filling a container of the above type with a solid or semi-solid material in the form of a stick. This process is essentially characterized by the fact that a follower with at least one aperture is placed in the body of the container, the cover is fixed in place and the resulting device is then turned upside down so that the follower is on top. The material to be packaged is next introduced in the liquid state. Additional material may be added to compensate for the contraction accompanying solidification and the aperture in the follower is then closed with an appropriate device.

The process according to the invention is not only extremely simply but also has the advantage of permitting the part of the stick first used to be formed in any desired shape, since it is molded by the inside of the cover.

In particular, the end of the stick may be rounded so that is projects slightly beyond the body of the container when it is first used.

In one variation of this process, the apertures in the follower may be small enough so that they need not be closed at the end of the packaging and taking into account the consistency of the material to be packaged, small enough that this material will not be squeezed out of these apertures when the purchaser actuates the follower.

In a second variation of the process according to the invention, the body of the container complete, with its cover, may be filled without having first positioned the follower, then a follower without apertures may be introduced into the body of the container through the opening opposite the cover.

In this case, the follower should be so constructed that it cannot come out again once it has been fastened in the body of the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the new article of manufacture which consists of a container for solid or semi-solid materials in stick form, this container being essentially characterized by the fact that it consists of a, combination of: a cylindrical body supplied with a cover and having an opening on the end opposite that to which the cover is attached; a packaged material which completely fills the greater part of the body of the container as well as the hollow of the cover; a follower having at least one aperture, this follower being slidably mounted inside the body of the container and preferably coming into contact with the packaged material; and preferably one or more devices for closing the aperture or apertures in the follower.

In one embodiment, the above-described container includes with the other parts a follower without apertures which is characterized by the fact that it may be introduced into the body of the container through the opening opposite the cover, this follower preferably being so constructed that it may not be withdrawn after it has been introduced into the body of the container.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood, several embodiments thereof will now be described, purely by way of illustration, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross-sectional view showing one embodiment of the invention before the introduction of the material to be packaged.

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the device of FIGURE 1, after the material to the packaged has been introduced and the cover removed.

FIGURE 3 is a partial cross-section through a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4 shows the device of FIGURE 3 after it has been filled.

The drawing shows the body 1 of the container which is cylindrical in form and is provided at one end with threads 2 which are designed to mate with the corre sponding threads 3 of the cover 4.

It will be noted that in the embodiment illustrated, the inside of the cover, according to one of the preferred features of the invention, defines a hollow space 5 which adjoins the inside surface of the body 1 and which is positioned beyond the end 1a of the body 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the end 16 of the body of the container is provided with a shoulder 6 designed to prevent the follower 7 from coming out of the end 1b of the body 1 of the container.

This follower 7 has the shape of a diabolo, the outer surface of which comprises two frusto-conical skirts '8 and 9. These skirts press resiliently against the inner wall of the body 1.

In accordance with the invention, the follower 7 comprises a central aperture 10 the lower edge of which is encircled by a conically diverging skirt 11, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained.

The stopper 12 consists of a base 13 provided with a hollow cylindrical skirt 14 the diameter of which equals that of the aperture 10.

The skirt 14 is provided with ribs 15 and two diametral slots 16 so as to permit the stopper 12 to be easily inserted into the aperture 10.

To fill the container according to the invention, the body 1 provided with its cover 4 and its follower 7 is first placed in the position shown in FIGURE 1; then the material in the molten state is poured in through the aperture 10.

This material is allowed to cool, resulting in a certain amount of contraction, then more material in the liquid state is added until it reaches the level of the central portion of the follower 7, and the stopper 12 is positioned in the aperture 10.

The skirt 14 thus enters into the packaged material while it is still in a liquid or semi-liquid state, so that, after complete solidification, the material has a certain hold on the skirt 12, due also to the ribs 15.

Moreover, the presence of the conical skirt 11 also causes the soiidfied material to adhere more tenaciously to the follower.

FIGURE 2 shows in section the packaged material ready for its first use, the cover 4 having been removed. It will be noted that the material 17 forming the stick extends beyond the upper end 10 of the body and has a rounded shape which corresponds to that of the cavity 5 in the cover 4.

It will also be seen at the lower part of FIGURE 2 how the material 17 fills practically all the space left inside the follower 7 and stopper 12, thus effectively attaching the stick 17 to the follower so as to prevent the stick from falling out of the cylinder 1 after it has been used a few times.

The fact that the shape of the end of the stick 17 corresponds to that of the cavity in the cover makes it easy to push the stick back into the cylindrical body when the cover is being put back on. The force which the cover applies to the stick is concentrated in the cavity of the cover and there is no risk that any of the material will be squeezed out between the cover and the cylindrical body.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate a second embodiment of the invention.

These figures show only the end of the body 1 remote from the cover, since the cover may be the same as in FIGURES 1 and 2.

In this second embodiment the end 1!) of the body has no shoulder 6, but is provided instead with a tapering groove 18.

The follower 12 comprises a central part 19 the outer diameter of which corresponds to the inner diameter of the body 1. It carries on one face a flexible frusto-conical skirt 20 and on the other a skirt 11 which serves to fasten 4 the follower to the stick material, as in the embodiment shown in FIGURES 1 and 2.

In order to fill the container, the body 1, carrying its cover 2, is placed in the position shown in FIGURE 3. The body is then filled with the stick material, while fluid, and the latter is permitted to cool to a temperature sufficiently low for the major portion of its contraction to have taken place. The follower 12 is then inserted into the body of the container until the end of the skirt 20 engages the groove 10.

This embodiment has the advantage that it is not necessary to carry out a supplemental filling to make up for the contraction which takes place.

By suitably selecting the volume of material introduced into the body 1 of the container, and the moment at which the follower is inserted in the body, it is possible to fill the container perfectly, as is shown on FIGURE 4, the skirt 11 being completely embedded in the material 17.

Moreover, in certain cases, it may be desirable to provide one or more very small holes in the follower 12 to permit the escape of the air in the upper part of the body 1 when the follower is being inserted.

It will of course be appreciated that the embodiments of the invenaion which have just been described have been given purely by way of example, and may be modified as to detail without thereby departing from the basic principles of the-invention.

In particular, the design of the follower may be modified to suit specific needs, and other shapes of stopper may be used to close the orifice at the bottom of the body.

What is claimed is:

l. A package containing a stick material, said package comprising in combination a hollow body having two open ends, a removable cover closing one of said ends and enclosing a space beyond that end, and a follower slidably mounted within said body, said follower being provided with a projection extending into said hollow body and having re-entrant peripheral surfaces, and said stick material occupying substantially the entire volume delimited by said cover, body and follower including said space, so that said projection is embedded therein.

2. A package as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least one inwardly extending projection at the end of said hollow body remote from said cover and resilient means on said follower positioned to snap over said projection when said follower is introduced into said body.

3. A package containing a stick material, said package comprising in combination a hollow body having two open ends, a removable cover closing one of said ends and enclosing a space beyond that end, a follower slidably mounted within said body and having an orifice therein, and a stopper blocking said orifice, said follower and stopper closing the other end of said orifice and said stick material occupying substantially the entire volume delimited by said body, cover and follower.

4. A package as claimed in claim 3 in which said stick material is in the form of a solid block retaining its original shape and said stopper comprises projecting means having at least one re-entrant peripheral surface embedded in said stick material.

5. A package as claimed in claim 3 in which said stick material is in the form of a solid block retaining its original shape and the follower comprises projecting means having at least one re-entrant peripheral surface embedded in said stick material.

6. A package as claimed in claim 3 in which the follower comprises two frusto-conical skirts having their larger ends positioned internally of said package with at least one of said skirts embedded in said stick material.

7. A package as claimed in claim 3 in which the inner surface of said cover defines a cavity and the edges of said inner surfaces register with the inner edge of the adjacent end of said body so that the inner surface of said cover constitutes a smooth continuation of the inner surface of said body.

5 6 8. A package containing a stick material, said package 3,070,224 12/ 1962 Robinson et al. comprising in combination a hollow body having two open 1,495,800 5/1924 Recker 401-82 ends, a cover closing one of said ends and encircling a 1,527,745 2/1925 Miller 40198 space beyond said ends, and a follower slidably mounted 2,818,167 12/1957 McKinley 401-72 X within said body, said stick material occupying substan- 5 3,342,609 9/1967 Bank et a1. tially the entire volume delimited by said cover, body, and follower, the inner surface of said body being formed FOREIGN PATENTS with an annular tapering recess, and said follower com- 318,550 10/ 1951 lfprising a resilient skirt fitting into said recess. 773,925 5/1957 Great Britain. 912,519 12/1962 Great Britain. References Cited MARTHA L. RICE, Primary Examiner. UNITED STATES PATENTS US Cl. 2,854,133 9/1958 Teller et :11. 20656 2,879,548 3/1959 Croce et a1. 

